Steinbach

Bauer Kasdorf has announced he'll be continuing his hockey career south of the boarder as he's signed a contract with the Hampton Road Whalers of the USPHL.

It’s been 12 years since three couples from Steinbach first opened the doors of The LumberZone, and what started as a dream scribbled into a business plan has grown into one of Manitoba’s most respected building supply companies. With locations in Steinbach, Transcona, and Stonewall, The LumberZone has not only expanded its footprint but also deepened its ties to the communities it serves.

The Hanover School Division (HSD) has submitted an updated five year capital plan to the province, and this time, it includes a request for a new school.

"We're very excited for Parkhill School to alleviate stress points for occupancy in our earlier (year) schools in Steinbach. We recognize that some of our other schools and communities are also very full," says Joe Thiessen, superintendent of the HSD.

Since the division was recently awarded Parkhill School, he says it may take time before they are able to build another.

The Morris Advanced Robotics team closed out the VEX World Championships in Dallas, Texas with a 3-7 record. 

In the final update, leader, JP Jamieson, noted the team (88875M) lost its final two matches (the last by only one point).

"(There was) lots of great learning from playing teams from all over the world," he added.

Overall, the team (88875M) finished #221 out of the over 800 teams at the tournament in the Skills Competition. This is a season high for both their driver score, and autonomous score.

The Association of Manitoba Municipalities (AMM) warns rural crime rates in the province’s Prairie regions are 400 per cent higher than the national average, citing limited police resources and repeat offenders as key challenges.

Statistics Canada data confirms the trend, with front-line policing strained by RCMP staff shortages and burnout.

Calls for bail reform and accountability

AMM President Kathy Valentino notes rural communities face disproportionate risks due to inadequate enforcement. 

While the recent federal election turned into a tight race between the Liberals and Conservatives that left other parties trailing far behind, a new poll suggests most Canadians don't want the country end up with a two-party system.

The poll of over 1,600 Canadians, conducted by Leger Marketing for the Association for Canadian Studies between May 1 and 3, suggests only 21 per cent of Canadians think the country would be better off with a system where two parties dominate the political landscape.

UPDATE May 13, 8:30am 

The office of the RM of Piney reports that the fire that started between Carrick/Badger has widened overnight and is now 1km east of Carrick. 

They also note that the smoke is very heavy along Whitemouth Lake Road, so we strongly advise no unnecessary travel along this road. 

Manitoba Wildfire Services will be taking their helicopter out this morning to assess the fire from the air. 

UPDATE May 12, 10:50pm

Bird River Bible Camp, run by Southland Church in Steinbach, has been evacuated due to a wildfire.

Teena Cole, a pastor at the church, says late this afternoon, the church got a message from camp staff notifying of the evacuation.

"The fires were, according to firefighters, three to four kilometers away at that time, and moving closer," she says.

An emergency evacuation notice in the Rural Municipality of Alexander, says all residents between Hill Road on PR 315 and the Bird River Bridge must evacuate immediately, including the bible camp.

A motorist from Hanover faces charges of impaired driving following a weekend crash.

Steinbach RCMP received the call on Saturday at 10:15 pm. According to police, it happened along Road 29N. 

RCMP report that a vehicle was parked on the side of the road when another vehicle collided into it. 

A 36-year-old male from the Rural Municipality of Hanover now faces charges of impaired driving. Police say injuries were non-life-threatening.

RCMP received 38 calls for service over the weekend. 

The residents of Paradise Village teamed up to raise money for a local animal rescue. 

Paradise Village is a 55-plus community located off the Trans-Canada Highway, between Ste. Anne and Richer.  

“There are a lot of very wonderful people that live here. We're very fortunate to have wonderful neighbours and a wonderful place to live,” says resident Debra Hallett.